Inugami
by Aryndiel
Summary: Young Inuyasha should probably know better, but he’d do anything for the chance to be accepted by his big brother. Rating for violence and language.
1. Part 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Inuyasha series or any of the characters.

**Summary:** Young Inuyasha should probably know better, but he'd do anything for the chance to be accepted by his big brother.

**A/N:** Warning to Sesshoumaru-fans. I normally think very highly of Sesshoumaru, but this story does not portray him in a good light.

Inuyasha is meant to be roughly the equivalent of eight or nine in this story, based on my own guess of him being orphaned around six or seven.

**Important: **An **inugami **is a sort of powerful servant spirit (similar to the two shikigami children Kikyou uses) that is said to be created by killing a dog in a rather cruel and unusual way. The dog is buried in the ground with only its head showing and surrounded by food and water placed out of reach. After it starves to death, the food serves as an offering to placate its spirit. The spirit then serves the person who left the offerings (and who killed it). Inugami are capable of independent action, and can turn against their masters or possess people.

Much thanks to my beta, Ranuel!

Translations and further A/N are at the bottom.

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**Inugami**

**Part One**

Inuyasha was crouching in the dark among the cattle owned by some local human lord, when all at once he felt that something was very wrong. He froze in the process of stealing milk directly from the source, and strained his ears and nose for any sound or scent. He was getting better every day at interpreting subtle signs of danger, but he couldn't seem to detect anything out of the ordinary.

Inuyasha stood up, wiping his mouth on his sleeve as he tried to figure out what was wrong. He hadn't been discovered, or the beating would have already begun. The castle and village were quiet and dark, and the cows were calm and mostly sleeping. The guards patrolling the castle had not raised any alarm. All the normal night noises were still present, and he could hear none of the noises that he had come to fear. Nothing seemed out of place except for this strange feeling inside him.

Inuyasha walked around the dozing cows to the fence and peered through it towards the forest, wondering if something was out there that he should know about. The sensation felt _wrong,_ but it didn't feel dangerous to him.

Feeling drawn towards the trees, Inuyasha slipped through the fence and headed for the edge of the woods, moving fast and keeping low so that the guards wouldn't spot him. Once inside the cover of the trees, he slowed his pace and straightened up, keeping all his senses alert.

He hadn't walked very far, following the pull of the strange feeling, when he began to hear and smell something new. From up ahead, there came the scent of dog — a very dirty dog, from the smell of it — and the sound of whimpering.

When he found the source of the smell and noise, he stopped in confusion. It was such a strange and unexpected sight that it took him a minute to figure out what he was seeing. A dog was there, alright, but all he could see of it was its head. Someone had dug a hole and buried the dog up to its neck in the dirt.

While Inuyasha was busy trying to figure out why someone would do such a thing (and how they had gotten the dog to stay still long enough to bury it), the dog spotted him and started to really make a racket. It seemed excited and desperate. Then Inuyasha noticed the two bowls lying on the ground near the dog, and realized why the dog was so happy to see him. Someone had left food and water just outside the dog's reach, and it was _starving_.

Suddenly angry at this cruelty, Inuyasha forgot his questions of _why_, and moved forward to help the poor dog. The first thing he did was push the water bowl closer so that the dog could reach it. Then he rolled up his sleeves and started digging.

It didn't take long for the dog to finish drinking the water, and it started licking Inuyasha's face eagerly as he dug. Perhaps because of this distraction, Inuyasha failed to realize that he was no longer alone.

"Well, well. The puppy's quite the digger, isn't he?"

Inuyasha snapped his head up and froze at the sound of the amused drawl. This was worse than humans. In front of him stood an inuyoukai, leaning against a tree with an entertained look on his face that instantly raised Inuyasha's hackles. As if this wasn't bad enough, another inuyoukai melted out of the forest off to Inuyasha's left, leaving no doubt in Inuyasha's mind that he had little chance of escaping.

Numb with dread, Inuyasha turned and did the only thing he could think of. He kept digging. The second youkai laughed slightly, and the first one started teasing Inuyasha, but neither of them harmed him. Yet.

"Keep going, puppy! Almost there!"

Inuyasha thought hard as he dug. The two youkai were well-dressed, and they smelled of his brother's clan. Courtiers, most likely — young ones, and probably not as high in rank as they liked to appear. Inuyasha might not have spent any time in an inuyoukai pack, but he could guess this much based on his experience observing the human nobles he'd lived among when Haha-ue was alive. People with true power just had something about them that couldn't be faked.

A third inuyoukai had arrived now, this one barely old enough to be considered an adult. His clothes were even more flashy than what the first two wore, and they couldn't conceal his gangly frame and shorter stature. The way this one carried himself was meant to make him look bigger than he really was, but just ended up making him look awkward. Inuyasha was instantly wary. He'd met young human courtiers of the same sort. They tended to be casually cruel in hopes of getting recognition and approval from those higher up. Inuyasha had learned to avoid those with something to prove.

Trying his best to ignore the teasing and the staring, Inuyasha continued digging and finally succeeded in freeing the dog. Weakened and wobbly, it licked his face again, wagging its tail as hard as it could. Inuyasha pushed it away in the direction of the bowl of food, and it started inhaling the contents. It smelled quite bad. It had obviously been trapped for days, and no creature can go that long without peeing. Inuyasha was looking forward to washing his hands.

"What a good puppy!" cooed the first inuyoukai, as the second applauded with a smirk.

The third inuyoukai had gotten close, and reached out in mock affection to pat Inuyasha's head. Inuyasha bared his teeth warningly and flattened his ears away from the clawed hand as it descended. The moment it was within range, he snarled and sank his teeth in as hard as he could.

The youkai yelped. The other two laughed. Banking on the element of surprise, Inuyasha released the hand and made a dash for the bushes. Before he'd run more than three steps, he was seized by the back of his collar and lifted off his feet. Twisting in the hold, he started clawing every inch of the youkai that he could reach, which was mostly his wrist and forearm. The youkai was giving him a rather ugly look, but didn't let him go.

"Feisty, isn't he?" commented the first inuyoukai, moving closer with a look of amusement. "I daresay he might give Eiichi-kun a run for his money in a fair fight."

Inuyasha took a swipe at him, too, but his arms were not long enough to reach. He renewed his attempts to break free, to no avail. His claws could pierce the tough skin of the inuyoukai, but they were too small to do enough damage, especially from such an awkward angle. He was starting to feel panic at the expression on the youngest youkai's face. Apparently Eiichi did not take kindly to being made to look like a fool, and the teasing from the older youkai was not helping matters. Eiichi clearly intended to make Inuyasha pay for the humiliation.

Inuyasha's saving grace was potentially worse than anything Eiichi could think of to do to him.

"Release the whelp."

Inuyasha froze, and then snapped his head around to stare at the newcomer, dimly aware of Eiichi doing the same. There stood Inuyasha's rescuer in all his glory — hero, tormentor, lord, enemy, god, alpha, brother. After a moment's surprise, Eiichi opened his hand. Inuyasha dropped to the ground, landing in a crouch at the feet of his older half-brother, Sesshoumaru. He stayed still, pinned in place by that gold gaze as the other inuyoukai bowed deeply to their lord.

"Aniki?" Inuyasha chanced hesitantly.

Sesshoumaru shot him a quelling look, and then turned to survey the scene before him. Inuyasha stayed silent and looked around as well, noting that Sesshoumaru had arrived in the company of a female guard captain. She looked older and much tougher than the young nobles, but didn't seem interested in doing Inuyasha any harm. He dropped his eyes hastily when she caught him looking at her. Just because she didn't seem to intend to hurt him didn't mean she couldn't change her mind.

Sesshoumaru assessed the situation in silence, taking note of the filthy dog, the empty bowls, and the hole in the dirt. He turned his gaze towards the nearby village, although they were too far into the forest to see it.

"Hnn…"

Sesshoumaru turned his gaze back to the dog. Showing every sign of submission, it crept forward to sniff him. Sesshoumaru paid it little mind, but then as Inuyasha watched, Sesshoumaru touched its head and ears briefly — without affection, but not roughly. Jealousy threatened to overcome Inuyasha, who had never been touched even half so gently by his brother, but he pushed the feeling away.

"Take this creature to the fortress," Sesshoumaru ordered to no one in particular. "We have business here tonight."

There was a brief bout of teeth-baring and growling as the other three male youkai decided without words which of them was to perform this duty. After a moment, Eiichi backed down from the other two. He looked for a moment as though he might try to challenge the female, but she sent him on his way with a growl. Cowed, the young noble approached the dog and picked it up, looking disgruntled to put his fine clothing in contact with such a smelly thing. A moment later he was gone in a streak of light that soon vanished through the trees, heading westwards.

Inuyasha felt relieved to see Eiichi go. He had a feeling that tonight was going to be difficult enough without keeping that particular danger around.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," began the quieter of the remaining male youkai. "On our arrival, we traced the scent to its origins in the village."

"Maybe you should have set the animal loose before worrying about that," the female remarked. Her voice was deeper than was typical of most women, and its tone was laced with disdain. "He was half dead. And did it really take both Keizo-san and yourself to trace a scent to a spot only a quarter-_ri_ distant, Masashi-san? Even this hanyou pup could do that."

It was on the tip of Inuyasha's tongue to tell her to leave him out of it, but he wisely kept silent. He really didn't want to draw attention to himself. With any luck, whatever "business" his brother had here would be enough of a distraction that they'd let him slip off to hide somewhere until they were gone. If he was really lucky, he might be able to steal some more milk before dawn. He was still hungry, and the cows hadn't even tried to kick him yet. What more could he ask for?

"Well, we didn't want it to wander off," the more talkative youkai, Keizo, answered the female. "We only got close enough to it to catch a whiff and follow the scent, and then we came straight back here."

"Did you at least give it water, or did you leave that for the whelp to do as well?" the female scoffed knowingly.

Inuyasha stopped focusing on this byplay as he realized suddenly that Sesshoumaru was watching him from the corner of a half-lidded eye. Why was he paying any attention to him? What did he want?

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru suddenly spoke, causing the other youkai to fall silent. "How was it that _you_ came to be here?"

Feeling nervous with all eyes turned to him, Inuyasha struggled to find the right words.

"It felt wrong," was what he decided on. "So I came here and gave the dog water and let it go."

None of them spoke for a minute. He struggled not to fidget under their gazes.

"I didn't know hanyou could sense such things," commented Keizo. "He doesn't smell much more powerful than a human."

"Not that one can smell much under that reek," Masashi put in quietly.

Inuyasha bristled, feeling his temper rise rapidly. Then he did something that was probably foolish.

"Keh! You ain't too bright! 'Course I stink! There's dog piss all over my hands!"

He felt stupid almost immediately after his defiant words, but refused to let it show. If there was one thing that would doom him tonight, it was showing any sign of weakness. He clenched his fists and bit his tongue.

Masashi looked taken aback, but Keizo started laughing.

"Better be glad the pup was willing to do the digging, Masashi-san!" Keizo exclaimed. "Unless you wanted the privilege for yourself?"

Masashi responded with a glare and a long, low growl. "Perhaps Keizo-san should cease his noise and put his tongue to better use bathing the pup," he retaliated.

Keizo pulled a face. "I'll let Shika-san do that," he replied. "She already thinks the pup is so much cleverer than us. Perhaps she wants to adopt him."

Inuyasha couldn't help but sneak a glance at the female youkai, who was looking at him with a slightly startled expression on her otherwise stern face. The moment they looked at each other, they both immediately looked away. When Inuyasha was sure that she wasn't looking at him anymore, he chanced another glance from beneath his bangs.

It wasn't that he actually wanted her to take him in or anything. He could look after himself, and who knew how she might treat him? But just for a moment, he let his imagination pause on the notion before he shrugged it off. The idea of it had caught him off guard. That was all.

"Enough," Sesshoumaru spoke before anyone else could say more. "This Sesshoumaru grows tired of such pointless talk. There are more important matters at hand."

Inuyasha saw Keizo and Masashi exchange glances. The mood had shifted, and there was an air of excitement and anticipation in their expressions now.

"Is it time to start, my Lord?" Masashi asked, a dark, eager tone colouring his voice.

A very canine grin revealed Keizo's teeth, and there was a hungry look in his eyes.

Inuyasha didn't like the feelings he was getting now. His instincts were screaming at him to get out of there, and though he hadn't consciously tried to move, he found that his feet were trying to sidle towards the bushes seemingly on their own.

"Will it be the usual, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Keizo asked.

Inuyasha froze when Sesshoumaru's gaze suddenly landed on him again.

"No," Sesshoumaru said quietly, after a moment. "This Sesshoumaru has a better idea." He started to smile, and Inuyasha felt dread fill him at the sight. A smiling Sesshoumaru was never a good sign.

"Inuyasha is going to help us."

The words sent a shiver down Inuyasha's spine.

Everyone was looking at him now, as though assessing the possibilities. And worse, they seemed to like whatever possibilities these were, if the intrigued glances they exchanged were anything to judge by. Inuyasha searched Sesshoumaru's wickedly smiling face for some hint as to whether he should start running.

"I… Aniki… I don't think…" Inuyasha stammered. His feet were trying to edge towards the bushes again.

"You _want_ to help, don't you?" asked Masashi.

"Don't you want to be one of us?" Keizo cajoled.

_One of them…_

Inuyasha looked at them all, seeing the tall, elegant figures that seemed to shine in the darkness. They seemed so beautiful, so perfect, so powerful. No one would ever dare to chase them away or ridicule them or beat them. They were so great and strong — Aniki most of all! And in that moment, Inuyasha wanted _more than anything_ to be one of them.

But it couldn't be true. Nothing good could come of this. Inuyasha prepared to make a run for it, hopeless though it might be to try.

But before he could move, Sesshoumaru blurred out of view, and then Inuyasha stiffened as he was caught from behind.

"You don't want to disappoint your aniki, do you, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru's voice said softly in his ear, sweet like poisoned honey. The elegant, clawed hands that had seized Inuyasha's shoulders grew gentle, one moving to pull him backwards into a half-embrace, while the other ventured up to pet his hair. "You want to be one of us, yes? You want to help?"

The terrible _want_ was drowning out the part of him that felt like a rabbit caught in the claws of a predator. _One of them! _The idea was everything he'd ever wanted! And Sesshoumaru had never acted like this before, had never touched him with kindness or spoken to him so gently. And although he had a suspicion that he ought to know better, he wanted so badly to believe that it could all be real. He had to hope, because the alternative was too cruel.

"Come now, otouto-chan," breathed Sesshoumaru. "Don't you want to make me proud?"

Something in him broke.

"Okay," he answered. "I'll make you proud, Aniki."

He squeezed his eyes closed, cringing, as soon as the words left his lips. Sesshoumaru's fingers stroked Inuyasha's ears as he whispered again.

"Good puppy."

**:oo:oo:oo:oo:**

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**Translations:  
**Inugami – dog spirit servant (see more in my notes at the top)  
Inuyoukai – dog demon  
Youkai – demon, spirit  
Haha-ue – archaic word for mother  
Aniki – big brother  
Ri – measurement of distance equal to roughly 4 kilometres (2.5 miles)  
Hanyou – half demon  
Otouto – little brother

**A/N: **Think Sesshoumaru is OOC? Just wait. I think you'll change your mind when all is said and done.


	2. Part 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Inuyasha series or any of the characters.

**Summary:** Young Inuyasha should probably know better, but he'd do anything for the chance to be accepted by his big brother.

Translations and further A/N are at the bottom.

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**Inugami**

**Part Two**

Inuyasha stood alone at the edge of the forest, resisting the urge to look back towards the woods, where he knew his brother and the other inuyoukai were waiting. Looking back would be pointless, because he'd never spot them unless they wanted him to, and it would also show his uncertainty. Uncertainty was a weakness, and he couldn't show weakness.

He didn't want to go into the village where the humans were. It was getting late, and with most of the villagers already asleep, there was little chance of him being spotted, but lamps were still burning in a few huts. He didn't want to risk it.

But he had to go, because that was the plan, and he couldn't disappoint Sesshoumaru. Not if he wanted to be accepted. So he started walking forward, heading for the hut that Keizo had pointed out to him.

The hut was one of the few that still held lamplight, so the occupant was probably still awake. Inuyasha hesitated as he got closer. He really wasn't sure that this was a good idea. He didn't think he wanted to do this. He wanted to make Sesshoumaru proud of him, but wasn't there something else he could do instead?

But as he wavered, he recalled what the others had told him about the human in this hut. They had told him more than he ever wanted to know about that strange business with the dog, and what this human had been attempting in his selfishness and cruelty. Inuyasha's anger, which had been simmering in the back of his mind, grew hot and bright again at the thought of it.

The human deserved what he got.

Strengthened by his temper, Inuyasha continued towards the hut. Just outside the door, he was careful to wipe the anger off his face as best he could. They had been very clear about how he must act towards this human, and he didn't want to mess this up.

When Inuyasha walked through the door, the human inside the hut was clearly startled. The man gawked at him, a cup of tea still held in the air, forgotten. Inuyasha silently endured the gaze that raked over him, appraising every detail of his appearance. His ears always got the most attention, and it was no different here, but the conclusions that the man drew were much different than usual.

"Inugami?" the man asked uncertainly, setting the tea down abruptly.

Inuyasha bowed as he had been instructed, hiding his relief that Sesshoumaru's plan was working.

"Yes, master," Inuyasha answered. That part rankled a bit, but it was okay, because he didn't have to _mean_ it.

"It worked, then?" the man demanded with growing eagerness. "You have come to serve me?"

"My spirit is not free to serve you," Inuyasha replied. "You must follow me to finish the bond."

It had been easy to memorize what he'd been told to say. He'd only been given a few phrases, and if the human asked too many questions, he was supposed to stall by repeating himself. The important thing was to get the human out of the hut.

The human set down his cup of tea and beckoned Inuyasha closer. Inuyasha didn't want to go, but he had to play the part. Reluctantly, he approached the man, and tried to avoid breathing in the stench of unwashed human. When he came within reach, the man grabbed him roughly by the arm and pulled him closer, peering at him with narrowed eyes. Inuyasha suppressed all his normal impulses to fight back or escape.

"You had better be telling me the truth," the human told him. "If this is some ploy to be free of me, I'll not fall for it."

"It's not a trick," Inuyasha replied, resisting the urge to lean away from the man's smelly breath. "You must follow me."

Inuyasha saw the fist coming, but he didn't try to avoid it. He was determined not to spoil Aniki's plan, so he braced himself and tried not to react. If there was even the slightest chance that Sesshoumaru would accept him, he'd take the punishment.

The blow was harder than he'd expected, and he reeled in pain, sagging briefly against the hand that still gripped his arm. The human gave him a shake.

"Speak to me with greater respect," the human ordered, his fist still raised.

Inuyasha hated him with every fibre of his being. He lowered his gaze so the human wouldn't see it in his eyes. "Yes, master. I'm sorry."

"You will address me as Taro-sama from now on," the human continued imperiously, lowering his fist.

"Please forgive me, Taro-sama."

The man stared him down for another minute, then finally released his arm.

"How do I complete the bond, Inugami?" the human demanded.

"Taro-sama must follow me," Inuyasha repeated stubbornly. "It can't be explained until we are there."

The man's suspicions seemed to have been appeased by Inuyasha's submissive act. He was quick now to follow Inuyasha outside, but when Inuyasha got close to the trees, he balked.

"Where are you leading me?"

"Follow," Inuyasha replied, without slowing down. His bruised cheek was throbbing, and he didn't feel like catering to the human's fear of the dark forest. "You must follow, Taro-sama."

Once the human was in the woods, he was easily led. He didn't seem to want to be alone, so he kept quite close to Inuyasha. His senses were weak, of course, and Inuyasha was probably the only thing he could see very well, with the moonlight striking his silver hair when it peeked through the tree branches. The man certainly hadn't caught sight of the three large dogs slinking through the trees, following them.

Inuyasha finally came to the prearranged spot in the woods, where he stopped in his tracks. The human stopped as well.

"Where are we? What must I do?" he demanded.

Inuyasha turned to face the human. He knew that the anger and disgust he'd been keeping contained was showing on his face now. Slowly, realization grew in the human's expression.

"You lied!" the man spluttered. "You tricked me, didn't you?"

Face twisted with outrage, the human rushed at Inuyasha, his claw-like hands extended before him, ready to grab and cause pain. Inuyasha leapt backwards out of reach without taking his eyes off the man.

Inuyasha knew the precise moment when Sesshoumaru appeared behind him, because the human stopped mid-lunge with a look of shock. Inuyasha stepped back further until Sesshoumaru put his hands on Inuyasha's shoulders.

"Well done, otouto," Sesshoumaru said, and Inuyasha's chest swelled with pride at the praise. The pain of his bruised face was suddenly insignificant.

"Youkai!" the human exclaimed, his shocked expression turning to a mixture of horror, anger, and fear. "What do you want from me? You stay away!"

"Did you think that your actions would be without penalty, human?" Sesshoumaru sneered. "Did you believe that the greater cousins of the creature you tormented would not be aware of your deeds? You will know better."

"It was only a dog," the man retorted, but his attempt at defiance fell flat as his voice quavered with fear.

As if on cue, the other inuyoukai prowled forward from the shadows surrounding the man, still transformed into their beast forms. The man heard their low growls and whirled to see the three bear-sized dogs, with their wicked teeth and glowing eyes. There was no mistaking them for normal dogs, and the human seemed terrified at the sight.

Inuyasha was caught up in the thrill. Aniki's plan was going perfectly. The human's mistreatment of the dog, and his motives for doing so, made him deserve every bit of punishment he was going to get, and Inuyasha wanted a part of it. The taste of retribution appealed to something dark inside his mind. Something in him wanted to pounce.

"Call them off," the man demanded with a note of panic in his voice. His eyes were fixed on the three snarling dogs. He had no idea that the biggest threat was standing on two legs behind Inuyasha.

It was the darker impulse within Inuyasha that prompted him to speak.

"They're _only_ dogs," he parroted back in a tone of mock-innocence.

His reward was twofold. Another delicious thrill went through him at the sight of the human going pale. And at the same time, Sesshoumaru tightened his grip on Inuyasha's shoulders in an approving sort of way. Inuyasha was almost giddy.

And then his excitement increased tenfold as Sesshoumaru released him and stepped back slightly, the air around him charged with rising youki. Inuyasha turned to watch in amazement as his brother's eyes turned red and the markings on his face grew more jagged and pronounced.

"You have been judged, human filth," Sesshoumaru announced, his voice gone dark, gravelly, and wild. "Run."

Inuyasha felt his hair whip in the wind created by his brother's youki. Being this close as his brother transformed, the air felt like it was crackling across his skin, but he was unharmed. He was trembling from the experience, a mixture of wonder, terror, and unholy glee.

When Sesshoumaru emerged from his cloud of swirling youki, Inuyasha knew that no enemy could ever withstand his older brother. The white dog towered, easily double the size of the other inuyoukai, and Inuyasha knew that this was probably the smallest that his brother could compress his massive youki. The big, white fangs gleamed, and the sharp claws flexed against the dirt as bulky muscles shifted and bunched under the silver fur.

"Aniki..." Inuyasha breathed in awe, scarcely able to believe that he was related to a being so great and terrible.

A glowing red eye spared him a glance before Sesshoumaru's attention returned to the human, who had not budged from where he stood shaking in terror. Sesshoumaru started growling, a feral sound that Inuyasha was glad wasn't directed at him. As his brother began to slowly stalk forward, Inuyasha turned his attention to the human as well. He wrinkled his nose, realizing that the man smelled even worse than before.

"Did you piss yourself?" he couldn't help asking, disgusted and amused.

The human didn't seem to hear him. He was too busy acting like a cornered rabbit, transfixed with fear and unable to take his eyes off Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha supposed he couldn't blame him for that.

Sesshoumaru was so close to the human now that his breath stirred the man's hair. Inuyasha leaned forwards in anticipation, feeling a grin spread across his face. Oh, this was going to be fun!

Sesshoumaru let out a savage bark that made the human jump as if he was about to die of fright. And then, as though released from a spell, the man scrambled away and took off at a sprint into the trees.

The dogs sprang into pursuit, led by Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha was hot on their heels. It wasn't hard for him to catch up to them, because they were only running as fast as the human, and humans were so _slow!_ And _oh! The chase!_ This was everything Inuyasha had hoped for! It was beyond exciting! And it was _right, _because the human deserved it! Deserved it for his cruelty and his greed. All in a stupid attempt to have a slave, to have power over his neighbours, to use an innocent creature for his own petty benefit. And he deserved it for hitting Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru was hanging back a little now, allowing the other inuyoukai their fun. Inuyasha laughed out loud as they took turns darting in, snapping their teeth within inches of the man's legs, sometimes snagging his clothing, and making a lot of ferocious noises as they drove him through the woods. Inuyasha hung back at first, running alongside his brother as he watched the fun. But soon he wanted more, and he sped forwards, leaping in among the excited pack to join them in turning the human into a gibbering wreck. He flung himself into the man's path, baring his fangs and brandishing his claws, delighted when the human swerved desperately around him. He let the human get a little further before he did it again, this time jumping up to snap his teeth close to the man's face. The man lashed out clumsily, and there was a brief tangle of limbs that threw them both off balance. Struggling to keep his feet, the man flailed again and managed to kick Inuyasha in the leg. Snarling, Inuyasha slashed at him and sprang out of reach. The dogs became even more excited at the new scent in the air. Inuyasha had drawn first blood.

The terrorized man ran on, the minor wound to his arm not nearly enough to slow him, and Inuyasha fell back a little, rapidly shaking off the soreness in his leg. He was flank-to-flank with Sesshoumaru again, trying to decide on his next move. Then Sesshoumaru increased his speed, coming up fast behind the human, and Inuyasha matched him, determined not to be left out even as the other inuyoukai backed off a bit.

The human, in one of his frightened glances over his shoulder, realized who was behind him now, and grew even more frantic. Inuyasha could tell he wouldn't last much longer. The man was exhausted and petrified, and starting to make mistakes. Soon he'd get too slow to be any fun.

Sesshoumaru loomed up in front of the human, who changed directions and tried to get away. Yes, he was definitely getting slower. He'd nearly run right into Sesshoumaru despite having plenty of time to turn. Inuyasha darted in from the opposite side and cut off the man's escape route, herding him back towards Sesshoumaru. They repeated the pattern a few times, and Inuyasha could barely contain his ecstasy at having his brother let him work together with him like this. He'd prove himself! He'd show them all that he could be just like them!

When the man tried again to avoid them both, Inuyasha leapt onto his back and snarled in his ear, nearly knocking the human over. Inuyasha grinned at the man's shriek of panic, sinking his claws into the man's clothes for a better grip as the man went through contortions to try to dislodge him. Then he saw his brother coming up fast again, and sprang clear. When Inuyasha was out of the way, Sesshoumaru ended the human's flight with a swipe of his paw.

The chase slid to a halt as the man tumbled end over end across a small clearing. Clearly stunned, the man lay still for a long moment, before struggling to his feet. He was bruised and dirty, but otherwise unharmed. Sesshoumaru had tempered the blow. He wasn't done playing yet.

The human didn't try to run again. He was beyond terrified, and gasping for air, barely able to stand as he looked for an opening, but the inuyoukai had him surrounded. With a rush of youki, they all transformed back into their two-legged forms, which the human now seemed to realize were just as frightening.

"Please..." the human mumbled desperately between panting breaths. "Please... don't... I won't do it again... Don't hurt me... Please..."

"Why should we spare you?" Keizo jeered. "You are nothing."

"You think you've learned your lesson, human?" Shika asked. "We've only begun to teach it to you."

"Please!" The man was nearly sobbing now. "I won't do it again!"

"No, you won't," Masashi replied with a dark grin, starting to step forward.

"Wait."

The inuyoukai froze as Sesshoumaru spoke. Sesshoumaru's icy gaze was fixed upon the man, and for a long moment he considered him distantly.

"This Sesshoumaru may let the human go free if he can defeat this Sesshoumaru's half brother," Sesshoumaru announced.

Inuyasha felt his grin falter. Sesshoumaru wanted him to fight the man by himself? Doubt started to creep through the haze of his excitement. It was one thing to chase the human. It was another thing entirely to actually fight him. The man was practically helpless.

"Aniki?"

Sesshoumaru diverted his attention to Inuyasha. "You wished to prove yourself, did you not? Now you will have your chance."

**:oo:oo:oo:oo:**

* * *

**Translations:  
**Inugami – dog spirit servant  
Inuyoukai – dog demon  
Aniki – big brother  
Otouto – little brother  
Youkai – demon, spirit  
Youki – demonic energy/aura


	3. Part 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Inuyasha series or any of the characters.

**Summary:** Young Inuyasha should probably know better, but he'd do anything for the chance to be accepted by his big brother.

Translations and further A/N are at the bottom.

* * *

**Inugami**

**Part Three**

Inuyasha wavered. Should he do it?

"Don't you want to repay the scum for that bruise on your face?" coaxed Keizo.

"How'd he manage to hit you, puppy?" Shika asked.

"I let him," Inuyasha muttered, still hesitating. "So I wouldn't ruin Aniki's plan."

"What a brave puppy," Masashi commented, but his tone seemed insincere.

Inuyasha growled at him. He was beginning to like Masashi about as much as he'd liked Eiichi.

"I just... have to fight him... and you'll let me go?" the human spoke up, with the tentative hope of one who couldn't believe his luck.

_Such a stupid, _defenceless_ human!_

Inuyasha turned to his brother. "Aniki, I... I don't think I want to," he pleaded quietly. "Can't I do something else? I can make you proud, I promise. I did everything else you asked. I did good, didn't I?"

He stared up into Sesshoumaru's eyes hopefully, willing him to give him a different task. Sesshoumaru was expressionless as he looked back.

"Surely you would not lose to a human, otouto," Sesshoumaru murmured coolly.

"I won't lose!" Inuyasha retorted, and he knew then that he'd do it, even if he still wasn't sure he wanted to.

"I want a weapon!" the human suddenly announced. Inuyasha saw the man watching him with a speculative gleam in his eye, and suddenly his reluctance faded entirely.

"Go ahead," he replied, flexing his fingers with a glare. "It won't help you any."

Masashi tossed the human a knife, which the man clutched like a precious talisman. At least that evened the odds somewhat. He had a chance of hurting Inuyasha before Inuyasha could knock him out or make him beg. Inuyasha felt a little better about that.

"Get him, puppy, get him," Keizo whispered, anticipation in his tone, and Inuyasha found himself hating him almost as much as he hated Masashi and Eiichi.

Inuyasha stepped forward into the circle the others formed, waiting for the human to make a move. Then something happened that he did not expect, but probably should have. The human sized him up, gripped the knife, and suddenly turned into a predator.

_A clumsy, slow, tired predator, but still dangerous,_ Inuyasha realized, as he dodged a wild slash of the knife. He circled, eyeing the human with new wariness as the human faced him in a half-crouch. He decided that the best way to deal with the situation was to take the man down as fast as possible, instead of putting on a show for his brother and the others.

Inuyasha darted in, aiming to knock the man off balance, but that _damned knife_ kept following him. He had speed and instinct on his side, but the human had desperation and size working in his favour. Ducking under another sweep of the blade, Inuyasha grabbed the human's wrist in one hand and drove his other fist into the man's stomach before yanking the man's arm to try to flip him. But the human scrambled and managed to get his feet under him again, and Inuyasha had to jump back as the man switched the knife to his other hand and slashed outwards once more.

Sweat trickled down Inuyasha's back under his suikan. That one had been aimed at his throat. Inuyasha was fighting to win, but the human was fighting to _kill_.

Inuyasha could still beat him, he knew. But it was going to be a lot harder. And ending the fight _quickly_ had just become a very important priority.

Inuyasha clenched his jaw, hearing the other inuyoukai laughing and cheering and placing bets. He tried to tune them out, but it was hard to ignore. It made him so _angry_ that they were having a good time watching him risk injury for their amusement. So he took his anger out on the human.

Weaving and dodging, he attacked with more energy, bringing his claws into the fight instead of just his fists, and trying to find a way past the knife. It was frustrating! He could find plenty of opportunities to cause the human pain, but few that avoided losing sight of the knife.

But anger made him take risks.

Seizing an opportunity, Inuyasha punched the human in the side and darted behind him while he was trying to catch his breath from the blow. Leaping onto the man's back, Inuyasha wrapped his arm around the scrawny neck and pressed. He grinned, knowing that it would only take a minute, two at most, for the human to pass out.

The human tried to swing the knife back over his shoulder at Inuyasha's face, but Inuyasha had been ready for that, and it was all too easy to swat the offending hand away. The man tried again a couple times, his movements quickly becoming sluggish and more panicked. Not much longer.

Then Inuyasha's breath caught in his lungs as pain lanced through his leg. The human had made a frantic stab behind himself, and the knife was embedded in Inuyasha's thigh.

Inuyasha let go and dropped to the ground, the knife coming with him as the human lost his grip. He staggered backward away from the man, who was busy gasping for breath. The inuyoukai were shouting and cheering, and Inuyasha was so filled with hate that it was amazing that he could contain it all. They didn't care who won! They just cared about the amusement.

When Sesshoumaru accepted him, he was going to make them pay! He'd outrank them then, and he could do whatever he liked to them! They'd regret this!

Biting his tongue to stay silent, Inuyasha grabbed the knife and pulled it out of his leg, knowing that he couldn't fight with it in. Blood streamed down his leg, turning one side of his hakama black in the dim light, but he'd had worse. It would stop once he had a chance to rest. Once this fight was over.

Inuyasha debated over what to do with the knife. He didn't want or need it, and he wasn't about to give it back to the human. The man had lost it, fair and square.

The sound of the inuyoukai's excitement filled his ears again. With a snarl, he turned and threw the knife at Masashi's face. The expression of surprise and alarm was very satisfying.

_Pity he caught it._

Masashi glared as Keizo roared with laughter and Shika snickered. Then Masashi's expression turned into a knowing smirk, and Inuyasha spun around just in time to meet the human who was charging at him from behind.

The human wasn't very dangerous without a weapon, but his fists still caused damage, and Inuyasha couldn't dodge very well anymore. Inuyasha lashed out rapidly with both hands, his claws finding flesh more than once, and the human broke away with a loud cry of pain. Inuyasha smirked darkly. Inuyasha hadn't made a sound when the human stabbed his leg, and the human wasn't hurt nearly so badly.

Keeping his weight off his injured leg as much as possible, Inuyasha waited. The man would try again, and he was ready. And this time, when the man charged, Inuyasha did nothing until the last moment. When the human was practically on top of him, he pivoted to the side and grabbed the front of the man's clothing, using his momentum to hurl him across the clearing.

Inuyasha was already in motion before the man even landed. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he crossed the clearing and grabbed the human's hair, lifting his face out of the dirt long enough to stun him with a well-placed punch. Then he let go of the man's hair and let his face drop back to the ground.

Inuyasha stood over the man, getting his breath back. The human was whimpering and sobbing piteously, but he made no attempt to rise. Inuyasha had won, and the human knew he was beaten.

The inuyoukai had all fallen silent now, but the atmosphere of anticipation hadn't faded. If anything, it had risen tenfold. Inuyasha wasn't sure why, but he didn't really care. His eyes sought out the only person he was interested in dealing with.

He felt a smile start to edge onto his face as he met his brother's eyes, but then he faltered. Sesshoumaru's face was still expressionless, but his eyes were alive with something new. A dark hunger shone there, and it made Inuyasha very, very nervous.

"Finish it," Sesshoumaru growled, and in his normally cold voice there was the same anticipation that the other inuyoukai were showing.

Inuyasha stared. "Aniki...?"

_He wants me to _kill_ the human?_

Inuyasha stepped hesitantly towards his brother, away from the human, hoping that Sesshoumaru would come to his senses.

"Aniki... you said I just had to defeat him..."

"Finish it! Or are you too weak, half-breed?"

Inuyasha stared at his brother in dismay. He took in the darkness in Sesshoumaru's expression, the way the other inuyoukai were practically panting with excitement, and the fact that the human had lifted his head out of the dirt enough to peek at what was going on. Inuyasha looked at his brother again, really looked, searching for any sign of pride or affection or acceptance — and found nothing. And then he knew just what a fool he'd been.

"You never meant any of it, did you?" he whispered slowly.

_Something_ flashed through those gold eyes, something different — not anger or hate or disdain. Something Inuyasha had never seen there before. But it vanished as quickly as it appeared, and Inuyasha never learned what it had been.

A sound came from behind, and Inuyasha spun. The human was up again! The man raised the rock he was clutching, clearly meaning to dash Inuyasha's brains out. And then there was a flash of green light before Inuyasha was knocked to the ground.

Sprawled on his back with a heavy weight on his legs and belly, Inuyasha heard a thud on the ground not far from his head. Turning his head to look, he locked eyes with the severed head of the human.

Frozen in horror, Inuyasha could do nothing but stare, until the hot wetness seeping through his clothes registered in his mind. Staring down at himself, he realized that the weight pinning him was the decapitated body, and blood was _everywhere_.

Kicking desperately, Inuyasha dragged himself backwards, away from the body. The blood was all over him, drenching his clothes, on his hands — he could even feel it splashed across his face, and he tried to rub it off on a clean patch of his sleeve. He couldn't get the smell of it out of his nose, and it made him want to gag.

"Weak."

Inuyasha looked up to see his brother staring down at him coldly.

"Are you going to vomit like a pathetic human?" Sesshoumaru scoffed with disgust.

And then Inuyasha didn't feel sick anymore. He didn't have room to feel anything except angry.

"You lied to me," he said, his voice trembling with rage the way the rest of him was doing. He got to his feet and stood in front of Sesshoumaru, clenching his fists.

"You lied," he continued, louder. "I did everything you asked, and you lied to me!"

Sesshoumaru looked at him as though he was less than nothing, and started to turn away.

"It was all a game to you, wasn't it?" Inuyasha shouted at his back. "You lied from the start! Just so you could have your fun!"

Sesshoumaru could have been carved from stone for all the reaction he displayed. It was maddening!

"You're the pathetic one!" Inuyasha yelled. "You're a pathetic liar, you fucking bastard!"

Then he choked, clutching frantically at the hand that was clenched around his throat. His legs thrashed uselessly in the air. He hadn't even seen his brother _move!_

Sesshoumaru had hoisted him to eye-level, and snarled into his face. "This Sesshoumaru is not the bastard here, half-breed."

Inuyasha knew he was about to die. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't get away. He was no match for his brother and he knew that this was the end. His claws were digging into his brother's hand as he tried to no avail to loosen Sesshoumaru's grip, and Sesshoumaru didn't even seem to feel it. No air!

Desperate, certain he was about to die, Inuyasha struck out at his brother for the first time in his life. And stared, stunned, at the damage he'd done to Sesshoumaru's face, barely even hearing his brother's hiss of pain.

Four deep gashes ran down the left side of Sesshoumaru's face, streaming blood onto the collar of his hitoe. Even more startling, the eye was completely ruined, a grotesque socket of blood and fluids. And it didn't matter that it would all be healed in no more than a day or two. Inuyasha had never injured his brother before. He'd never dared to try. It wasn't meant to be possible.

And when he shifted his gaze to Sesshoumaru's good eye, he realized with awe that he'd managed to surprise his brother as much as himself. This was such an unexpected thing that Inuyasha failed to notice that he could breathe, his brother's hand having loosened in his pain and shock.

None of the other inuyoukai were laughing now.

Sesshoumaru overcame his shock first. A look of pure rage came over his face, and his hand tightened again, cutting off Inuyasha's air once more. He jerked Inuyasha closer so that they were nose to nose. Then, his voice full of malice, he spoke.

"When you are big enough to be worth the effort, this Sesshoumaru will kill you."

And he threw Inuyasha, hard enough that he travelled across the clearing and didn't stop until he hit a tree. Threw him so hard, in fact, that when Inuyasha bounced off the trunk, everything went black before he hit the ground.

**:oo:oo:oo:oo:**

* * *

**Translations:  
**Inugami – dog spirit servant  
Aniki – big brother  
Otouto – little brother  
Suikan – Inuyasha's firerat jacket  
Inuyoukai – dog demon  
Hakama – Inuyasha's pants  
Hitoe – a type of shirt garment


	4. Part 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Inuyasha series or any of the characters.

**Summary:** Young Inuyasha should probably know better, but he'd do anything for the chance to be accepted by his big brother.

Translations and further A/N are at the bottom.

* * *

**Inugami**

**Part Four**

It was still night when Inuyasha opened his eyes, and he was alone. There wasn't a part of him that didn't hurt, and his head was throbbing in time with his heartbeat. Slowly, he sat up and took stock of his surroundings and situation.

He could tell he'd only been unconscious for an hour or so, partly because no scavengers had showed up to eat him, but mostly because the blood on his clothes was cold but still sticky. It felt disgusting, and the smell still made him feel sick to his stomach, especially combined with the pounding in his head.

He remembered everything. Sometimes, when he'd been unconscious, the details of what had happened to him trickled in slowly when he woke up, and it would be a few minutes before he could remember it all clearly and in order. But not this time. He'd woken up with all his memories laid out before him in his head, each one painfully detailed.

Fighting nausea, Inuyasha climbed slowly to his feet and walked over to the corpse which still lay on the ground. He looked down at it for a long time.

"I'm not sorry," he said suddenly, and looked away.

He was so angry, and so hurt, and so tired. He'd been nothing but Sesshoumaru's puppet. His brother had dangled the thing he wanted most before him, and he'd fallen for it. He'd actually believed that if he only did as Sesshoumaru asked, his brother would finally accept him. He'd been so _stupid. _Why had he believed him?

_What would Haha-ue think of me?_

Inuyasha felt even sicker than before. He had to push the feeling away, because he couldn't tell if he was going to cry or puke, and he didn't want to do either.

He remembered the excitement of the night before. It had been so easy to get caught up in it. Something in him had loved every second of it, had adored the human's — Taro's — terror. Something inside him still loved it, and that was the worst part. _What would Haha-ue think?_

It was all Sesshoumaru's fault. He'd toyed with Inuyasha, pulled all the right strings, made him believe the lies for his own amusement. And he hadn't meant a word of it.

Inuyasha felt his claws digging into his palms as he squeezed his fists tightly, hardening his heart. He didn't need his brother. He didn't need anyone. He was better off alone.

"I hate you. You hear me, Sesshoumaru?" His voice rose to a shout. "I HATE YOU!"

He listened as the echoes of his voice died away, knowing that Sesshoumaru was long gone, and would not hear him. He felt so alone.

Looking down, Inuyasha forced the rage to the front again, because with it filling him, there was no room for the hurt.

"I'm glad you're dead," he told the corpse with a scowl. "You deserved it."

Inuyasha turned away. He wanted a bath, and his clothes needed washed. He'd have to find a river.

But first, he was going back to the village. Dawn was not far off. If he hurried, he could get there before anyone woke up, and he could steal the food from the dead man's hut. It wasn't like the man would be needing it.

He set off through the woods, limping on his wounded leg. And as he walked, he took his mind off the pain by concentrating on just how much he hated Sesshoumaru. The feeling filled him up until it drowned out everything else. He soldiered on.

And pretended with all his might that he wasn't crying.

**::Owari::**

* * *

**Translations:  
**Inugami – dog spirit servant (see more in my notes below)  
Haha-ue – archaic word for mother

**A/N:** The initial inspiration for this story actually came from two sources: the subject of inugami, and my personal musings on what purpose inuyoukai might serve in nature. We know that ookami youkai (in the series) look after wolves, so this led me to wonder if inuyoukai would have any special affinity towards regular dogs. Do some inuyoukai perhaps have packs of stray dogs following them around in the same way that Kouga has a pack of regular wolves with him? For the purposes of this story, the answer is yes.

When I started to write, the story just sprawled out, getting bigger and darker all the time. It is now the longest story I have written, and I think the most dark (which is good, because it was meant to be). I really didn't expect it to turn out quite the way it did. It really seemed to have a mind of its own, as if it _wanted_ to be told. And so, having begun as a simple interest concerning inugami, this story evolved into an exploration of hate.

Interesting point: In anime episode 88, with the three irritating monkeys, the villagers call Inuyasha "dog god" in the English version. My beta, Ranuel, has confirmed my suspicion that the term "inugami" is used in the Japanese version. So in English, we have a mistranslation, and the villagers are not mistaking Inuyasha as a god, but as a tamed dog spirit controlled by a human master. It would be an easy mistake for the villagers to make, considering Kagome's subjugation spell. I can also see how a mistranslation would be easy for translators who did not understand the culture, since the direct translation would be "inu (dog) – kami (god)".


End file.
